Worm Farming Alliance
Get The Mentorship, Contacts, and Support You Need to Succeed With Worm Farming!
Interested in Worm Farming as a Business?
Well, you're in the right place!
Back when I first got rolling with my own worm farming business, one of the things I noticed right away was the lack of memberships or even discussion groups for worm farming business people. The public hobby forums were ruled by the resident "experts" - and you could never tell how reliable the information was going to be from one day to the next.
As a vermicomposting educator who was more than familiar with "the power of the web", I knew there was a great opportunity to create exactly the type of group I myself was looking for (and I knew others must be looking for as well).
In fall of 2009, I launched a small group called the "Red Worm Composting Inner Circle" (the cheesey name still makes me chuckle), and it was a magical place where connections were made, ideas were nurtured, and great information was shared.
A couple of years later that group became "The Worm Farming Alliance", and the rest is history!
What Is The Worm Farming Alliance?
The Worm Farming Alliance (WFA) is a community-driven membership for anyone wanting to take their vermicomposting/vermiculture efforts to the next level.
The group was originally created for those wanting to launch – or further develop – a worm farming business. This is still a major focus, but our member base contains a diversity of people from all walks on life, and with a variety of goals and interests.
Plain and simple, if you are interested in moving beyond “hobby level” worm farming, there’s a good chance the WFA is right for you!
What Makes The WFA So Special?
For decades, this has been a field well-known for its secrecy. There are no trade journals, or really, any serious publications at all. While you can find a wealth of information on the topic online, much of it is recycled and outdated - with plenty of it flat out wrong. It's very hard to know what people and resources to trust with your valuable time.
Over the years, various attempts have been made to form official associations (like those found in other industries), but without much success.
To add insult to injury, the worm farming industry has been plagued by marketing hype and downright scams. Most of this occurred in the 70’s and 80’s, but to this day there are rip-off artists continuing to separate unsuspecting victims from their hard-earned money.
The WFA is unlike any other worm farming resource available today!
Unlike what you see in the public groups and forums – where everyone with an ounce of confidence can be a worm guru (sadly, it's often the most clueless ones that seem to be the loudest), as a WFA member you are going to be part of an incredibly open, knowledgeable, and supportive community.
A place where there is truly no such thing as a "dumb question", and it's not at all uncommon for worm industry leaders to appear out of nowhere and happily help the newest newbies.
“WFA helped me a lot…”
WFA helped me a lot since I joined. Got very good ideas, opinions, advice, and help on the business side. Meet people that are on the same size and the same mindset on worm farming.
~ Andy Loy
“The investment has been so worth it.”
I am so glad I did the WFA even running on a skinny shoestring. The investment has been so worth it. Thanks Bentley!
~ Deborah Hartley - Missoula, MT
“The investment has been so worth it.”
I am so glad I did the WFA even running on a skinny shoestring. The investment has been so worth it. Thanks Bentley!
Deborah Hartley
Missoula, MT
If there is ONE thing I’ve learned as a result of all the various WFA launches and re-launches, it’s that keeping things a simple as possible is definitely the best way to go!
After starting with a successful "lifetime" membership offer, I made the mistake of launching a recurring-subscription model.
It looked good on paper - since it helped to ensure that revenue was continuing to come in for ongoing development - but in the end it mostly just served to over-complicate things.
Long-story-short(er), I brought on some managing partners to help out, and then completely simplified and streamlined the membership - which included bringing back the popular one-time join fee.
Meet The Team!
Bentley "Compost Guy" Christie - Founder
I've been actively vermicomposting for more than 20 years, and educating people online in the ways of the worm for more than 15. Combine a strong academic background in biology and soil/compost science with a major passion for teaching and helping people - along with just a dash of goofball humor (ok, more than a dash) - and that's me in a nutshell.
Steve Churchill - Managing Partner
These days, pretty well anyone who has spent a bit of time in the world of vermicomposting will be familiar with Steve. He is founder of The Urban Worm Company and creator of the popular Urban Worm Bag vermicomposting system, but he's also a prolific online content creator, with a dizzying array of top notch blog posts and YouTube videos.
Larry Shier - Managing Partner
For years before even meeting the man, Larry seemed to be the guy that was "everywhere" in the online composting community. I could see how respected he was in the groups and forums, and I felt lucky when he agreed to be a WFA moderator. More recently (after being invited to become a managing partner), Larry launched his "Elite Worm Breeding" course/membership, and it's become one of the go-to resources for people serious about breeding composting worms.
“…thank you so much for helping me to build my website”
It is SO refreshing to be involved with other wormhead novices and professionals alike who freely exchange ideas and advice on the forum and are truly concerned with my success. What a difference this makes! …thank you so much for helping me to build my website and especially for all the personal help in answering all my silly emails.
~ Ralph Mills
Some Very Important Caveats!
Even if you really like what you see so far, there are some important things you need to be aware of (and on-board with) before becoming a WFA member.
- 1) Our Community Hub is on Facebook - We use a private Facebook group as our primary discussion forum. I realize not everyone wants to use FB (I'm not the biggest 'fan' myself) and in a perfect world it would be hosted elsewhere. But here's the conundrum: after testing out multiple community platforms, it has become abundantly clear that Facebook is always going to be the hands-down winner for member engagement. It's very easy and familiar for a lot of people, so they just tend to hang out there. (See the FAQ for more Facebook-related info)
- 2) This Membership is ALL About The Community - Back in the 'olden days', I was trying to make the WFA the ultimate all-in-one worm farming resource. There was a full-fledged member area with lots of educational (etc) resources, along with our community hub (originally an old-school forum, then moved to Facebook once people stopped using it), and an e-mail list. Apart from the challenges of keeping on top of all this, adding new content, updating things etc, it just because clear that it was the COMMUNITY that was always, by far and away, the most important resource. So, that's exactly what we focused on when we streamlined the membership (mentioned earlier).
Bottom-line, if you are mainly looking for a massive library of educational resources, and other add-ons that make a membership seem 'fancy', the WFA might not be for you. The members that get the absolute most from the membership are always the ones who really immerse themselves in the community.
NOTE: Just so you know, all new members are still offered full access to the old member area, if interested. There are still some valuable "evergreen" educational (and other) resources in there, including loads of great information in the old forum!
Our Membership Fee
$67
(One Payment - USD)
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We wanted a fee that was enough of a 'barrier for entry' to maintain the high quality of the community, yet was still very affordable for most people.
What's Included:
- Private Discussion Group - As mentioned above, the heart of the WFA membership is found in our private Facebook group (be sure to check out the FAQ section if you have FB hang-ups).
- Access to the Old Member Area - This is no longer updated, but it still contains a wide range of valuable resources relating to Worm Farming.
- Special Member Discounts - WFA members qualify for discounts on a selection of worm farming products. eg Larry Shier is offering a whopping 40% off of his Elite Worm Breeding package for members.
- Mentorship & Support - Members are provided with an e-mail address that leads directly to Steve, Larry and myself at once. Any time you have a pressing question or problem you need help with, this can be a great way to tap into the team 'brain trust' (plenty of help to be found in the private group as well).
- WFA Affiliate Program - Recommend the membership to others and earn a generous 50% commission on any new sign-up you refer!
- All Future Updates & Permanent Access - I've had members come back after a multi-year hiatus from worm farming who have reached out and asked if they are still able to access the member resources. ABSOLUTELY! Once a WFAer, always a WFAer in my books.
Ready to get involved in our awesome community?
(A secure checkout will open in a new window)
My 100% Happiness Guarantee
I stand behind ALL my educational products and the WFA is no exception. You have a full 60 days to explore the resources, immerse yourself in the community, and decide if it's a good fit for you.
During that time please feel free to grill us with any and all questions you have, and we will do our very best to assist you in any way we can.
If you do decide the membership is not for you, just fire me an e-mail and I will promptly issue you a refund. No harm, no foul, and we can still be friends!
FAQ
Not at all! We have members from all over the world. Yes, most of our members are U.S.-based, but some of the other countries represented include: Canada (both Larry and myself are Canadian), Australia, Germany, UK, Ireland, Norway, Spain, Greece, New Zealand, South Africa, Denmark, Philipines, Mexico, and Vietnam.
Technically, yes you can - there is nothing stopping you from becoming a WFA member, even if you don't use Facebook. BUT, unfortunately you will miss out on what really makes the WFA special - the community.
My recommendation for those who hate Facebook, or just don't have an account, is to simply create a distinct profile solely for accessing the group (this is also good for active FB users wanting to keep their personal account separate). You could even create a pen name account if you wish, although, it's great to see people using their real names in our tightly-knit community. Every time you are finished in the group, simply log out. Anything you post in the group can only be seen by fellow group members.
Compost Guy Ultimate (CGU) is a lot more focused on education - and includes a collection of my own courses and other info products. Any mentorship/support you receive is from me directly, and there isn't the same sort of community hub as with the WFA. Bottom-line, if you really want to connect with others in the industry, the WFA is a great choice. If you love my stuff and are really focused on learning, CGU is great. If you want both - even better, since they are very complimentary. I am also happy to provide a CGU discount to any WFA members who ask.
The quality of the information and interactions is much higher on average. In public groups you always see a collection of resident "experts" who just seem to be waiting for the opportunity to respond to people. It is often these same people who can be overly critical/judgemental, and end up in petty debates with others. The WFA group is a lot smaller, and more tightly-knit - yet the experience/knowledge of our member base is incredible. Any debates that do arise tend to be very interesting and educational, and members tend to be very respectful/supportive with one another.
“…I will continue to be a member for many more years to come.”
I’ve been a member of Worm Farming Alliance since the beginning of 2011. What I like about WFA is the one-on-ones I have with Bentley. I have had my struggles of building a vermicomposting business every now and then. Bentley has helped see me through any issues I’ve had through all of my trials and tribulations. He has guided me through setting up my website, and even at times going into my website to fix and move things around to make things better…I know I will continue to be a member for many more years to come.
~ Stephen McGuire
Some More Kind Words From WFAers
"I’ve purchased several of Bentley’s courses over the years (along with most of the offerings available from others) and continue to be impressed with both the content and the value that he offers. Bentley’s love for all things worm is apparent in everything he produces.."
~ Ben R. - Lyons CO
"I think I have been in at or near the ground level of most of your major projects over the years and that is because you have great ideas and I believe in you and the things you are working to accomplish. You have had an enormous impact on the world of vermiculture and inspired many people, my friend."
~ Trent H.
"I can say that because of you and your information, I made my mind up, after years of research and study to get into the vermicomposting business.
It was your info that convinced me to finally go for it. I’m a very beginner as far as practical application is concerned. So the education I learned from you gave me the confidence to know I could be successful.
Thank you so very much and I know I will continue to learn reading your educational material."
~ Kendal F. - Batesville AR
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